UnexpectedFind (22 page)

She glanced over at Josh. He leaned against the wall with
his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. “Where is everybody else?”

“Patrolling,” Kade answered.

From his gruff voice she suspected he’d like to out there
with them.

Josh’s parents and the kids shuffled in from the kitchen
with bags of chips. Jazz pushed her annoyance away and helped them pick a
movie. With nothing else to do but stew over Rafe’s actions, she sat down with
them to watch an animated flick she’d seen dozens of times before. The opening
scene played. Singing filled the room but her gaze stayed locked on the door.

Kade reached down and took her arm. He gave it a little tug.
She stood and he led her to the far corner away from the others.

“Rafe loves you, Jasmine. That is why he’s so desperate to
take out Calum. He doesn’t want to risk losing you to him. Nor does he want to
spend the next several decades looking over his shoulder, waiting for Calum to
die of old age.”

Hope bloomed. Maybe she’d jumped to the wrong conclusion. It
wouldn’t be the first time. She was still learning about shifter culture. If he
groveled, she’d be willing to forgive him. “Rafe loves me?”

A lopsided smile spread on Kade’s face. “Don’t sound so
surprised. Did you think he’s mating you because there’s no one else?” He shook
his head. “Many shifter fathers have paraded their daughters before him, hoping
to entice him to choose their offspring. He refused to even kiss any of them,
let alone mate them.”

“Why?”

“There aren’t that many royals. We just don’t reproduce
well. So the female who snags one of us is prized and gets the social boost
mating into royalty brings.”

Kade’s annoyed tone suggested he didn’t like the constant
female attention either. Honestly, if she had men interested in her only for
what they could gain by being with her, she’d be annoyed too.

Although she was still angry with Rafe, she smiled. “So I’ll
be a princess?”

Kade chuckled and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “I suppose.”
He stepped away. “I’m going to go sit on the porch. I think I’ve watched this
movie five times already.”

He probably had. It was one of her boys’ favorites and Megan
loved the princess.

Josh jumped up from the couch as Kade reached the front
door. “Wait for me.”

She grinned at his eagerness to escape the musical torture
session. Josh might love her boys but he’d never been a big fan of television
or cute kid shows. It’d be fun watching him adjust to having a little princess
of his own. The thought chased some of her bad mood away. She made her way back
to the couch, but Seth jumped up and headed toward the kitchen before she sat.

“Hey, kiddo, where you going?”

“Need a soda,” he called out.

Her heart knocked hard against her rib cage. She ran after
him and grabbed his arm before he opened the fridge door.

“You know the rules, Seth. If you’re not in your room, you
stay with an adult,” she chastised him.

He groaned and rolled his eyes. “But Mom, I’m only getting a
soda.”

She swept her arm dramatically out to encompass the room. “And
where is the adult in here to watch you?”

He dropped his gaze. “I’m sorry.”

She gave him a quick hug. “I know this is hard. We only have
to do this a little while longer. Just until the bad guy is caught.”

He peered at her through strands of brown hair that had
fallen over one eye. “I’m tired of being in the house. I want to go outside and
play.”

She hated keeping them cooped up too. Kids needed to run,
burn off energy, especially ones that housed animals. “I know, Seth. Soon.
Okay?”

“Okay, Mom.”

She ruffled his hair then opened the fridge. “Orange or
cola?” He didn’t answer. “Seth?” She turned around and found him at the patio
door with his hands cupped to the glass. “What do you see?”

Seth slid the door open and went out onto the deck without
answering. Her throat squeezed tight. She ran after him. Mist was falling and
she slid across the wet deck but made it down the steps and grabbed him.

“Seth, where do you think you’re going?” she snapped. She
hated raising her voice to them but fear drove her temper. Instead of waiting
for an answer, she tugged him back to the steps. “Back inside, young man. It’s
too dangerous out here.”

Seth pointed with a trembling hand. “Peggy Sue.”

She followed the direction he indicated. Peggy Sue, the only
one of Mr. Wilkins’ dogs that Calum hadn’t killed, was limping toward them from
inside the woods. The older dog stumbled and she gasped.

Seth wiggled out of her arms and took off.

“Seth, no!”

She followed and slipped on the wet leaves. Her knees hit
the ground. Something sharp pressed into her skin and she screamed. She got up.
Pain radiated down her leg. Ignoring it, she ran forward. She followed Seth
into the shaded area, skidding to a stop after only a few feet.

Wide-eyed, she stared at the man standing there. Calum had a
clawed hand wrapped around Seth’s throat. He held him flush against his chest.
A cruel smirk spread over his face and the leering glance he swept over her
body turned her stomach.

“Hey there, sweet thing. I’ve been waiting for my chance to
get you alone.”

Terror filled her but the sight of her son in danger angered
her. She curled her fingers, wishing she could unleash claws. She wanted to rip
the bastard’s neck out. Now she understood how Rafe felt.

“Let him go,” she ordered.

The sharpened nails tightened around Seth’s throat. Drips of
blood slid down his skin. He whimpered. Jazz stepped forward. “Don’t do it,
Calum. It’s me you want, not the boy.”

Snarls came from behind her. She risked a quick peek and
found an enraged lion crouched, huge fangs bared. Kade, she assumed, but it
didn’t matter which shifter he was. He was on her side. A smaller jaguar and
two tigers approached behind him. She’d never felt so relieved in her life to
see a bunch of snarling cats.

She faced Calum. Fear gripped her but she wouldn’t fail her
son. “See? Did you really think we’d be without protection? Let the child go
and you can have me.”

“No. Him I can sell.” Calum gave Seth a little shake. Tears
ran down his face. More blood dripped. “You’re human. Worthless. You would’ve
been fun to play with, but humans are easy to get. I’ll pick up another
plaything on my way out of town.”

“But they won’t be me. I’m special.” She stepped closer and
leaned forward, giving him a good view of her cleavage. His gaze dropped there.
She fought the rising bile and murmured, “So special Rafe chose
me
to be
his mate.”

It was the trigger she needed to push him over the edge.
Calum dropped Seth and grabbed her. Claws dug into her stomach. She cried out,
but his other hand clamped over her mouth and stifled the scream. With the hand
digging into her belly, he lifted her and tossed her over his shoulder. Her
breath whooshed out. Agony whipped through her. He ran and each step he took
radiated more piercing pain from where he’d pierced her.

She heard Seth’s crying over the snarls of the cats and
looked in the direction the sound came from. Josh held him against his chest.
Kade—in his lion form—stepped up next to them. A wave of relief swept through
her.

Kade chuffed. She met his eyes. They flicked off to the left
then back to her. It was her only warning.

A roar rang out. Something rammed into Calum and she fell.
Her breath whooshed out but she turned her head, desperate to see what was
going on. The scene playing out before her tore a strangled gasp from her
throat. She pressed against the sharp sting in her chest. Wetness met her
fingers. Blood. She was hurt. The thought came easily, but her concern focused
on the man she loved, not on her injuries.

Two lions fought in a brutal, fast fight she could barely follow.
She kept her gaze locked on the black-maned one she knew was Rafe. He rose on
his hind legs to meet the other cat’s snapping lunge. Rafe was taller and in
this case, the height left him open for Calum’s attack, but he countered it
before she could scream.

Rafe, the man behind the lion who she’d snuggled with last
night, was vicious, no longer the comforting male. This was an enraged predator
protecting his family. He snarled and lunged at Calum but missed when the
smaller lion rolled toward her. Fur brushed her leg and the tuft of hair on his
tail smacked against her belly, but he jumped away to avoid the swipe to his
flank.

Rafe planted his body between where she was sprawled on the
ground and the threat. Another cat, a tiger with blue-gray fur, came up on her
left and a spotted jaguar approached on her right. Calum flicked his gaze
between her protectors. He lowered the front of his body and leapt at the same
time Rafe did. Their bodies smacked, claws tore at each other’s flanks, but
Rafe was obviously the stronger lion. He pushed Calum away from her then
clamped his mouth over Calum’s neck. She closed her eyes and tried to block out
the horrible sounds.

Finally, silence descended. She opened her eyes. The
branches above her head gave her a dappled view of the gray sky. After a
moment, a black-maned lion came into view. The lion faded and the face of the
man she loved stared down at her. His image wavered. She blinked. It didn’t
help. Fuzziness distorted his sharp cheekbones.

“Rafe, you’re alive,” she mumbled. Or at least she thought
she spoke. She couldn’t seem to get in enough air.

She watched Rafe’s mouth move but didn’t hear what he said.
She started to ask him to repeat himself but blackness swept over her vision
and took him away.

Rafe stared at the blood running in rivulets down Jasmine’s
stomach. The loose shirt he knew she wore with him in mind was shredded. The
torn cloth showcased the slashes marring her belly and the four punctures at
the base of her rib cage. On a royal, the wounds would’ve closed by now. Even
on a single shifter, the flow would’ve slowed. But on his beautiful female’s
belly it hadn’t. Blood dripped, soaking the ground beneath her.

He let revenge come before his chosen mate just as she’d
accused him of doing. But she suffered for his choice. He allowed the guilt to
consume him for a heartbeat before pushing it away. Jasmine needed him. He
wouldn’t fail her. Not a third time.

The others gathered around. He ignored them and turned his
attention to his female, where it should’ve been in the first place. With his
ear near her chest, he listened. An erratic heartbeat and shallow breathing
reached him, not what he wanted to hear, but it meant she still lived. He had
time to save her.

Using a sharpened nail, he tore her shirt and lowered his
head to her stomach, licking the wounds to slow the staunch of blood. It didn’t
seal them, that would take more than a couple of swipes of his tongue, but it
helped.

As he tended the gashes, he heard Seth screaming for his
mother. His voice faded, someone likely taking him back to house. But the child’s
plea cut at his heart. Drove home the truth. If he didn’t get through to
Jasmine, not only would he lose the woman he loved, Seth and Levi would lose
their mother. And it would be his damn fault.

He knelt over her prone body. “Jasmine.” She didn’t stir.
His animal spirits whined, their anxiety adding to his. He smacked her cheek in
an effort to rouse her. “Wake up, baby,” he yelled.

No response. True terror gripped him. His heart knocked hard
against his ribs. Gods, he couldn’t lose her. He tore his wrist open and
pressed it to her lips. She didn’t drink. Blood dribbled over her chin.

Rafe pressed kisses to her face. “Jasmine, don’t you dare
die on me! Wake up.” She didn’t stir but her brows creased. Hope rose. “That’s
right. Come on, love. Open those gorgeous eyes. Let me see you, know you’re
still with me. I need you, baby.”

The movement behind her eyes quickened, the lids fluttering
before lifting. Pain hazed the gray, made them unfocused, but he’d never been
happier to see anyone’s eyes. He leaned close and captured her gaze. She had to
be aware, know what was happening before he severed her ties to the human god.

“I’m going to mate you, Jasmine. Do you understand? We can’t
wait.”

“Why?”

The single word was no more than a breath of sound, but the
confusion in it was obvious. He swallowed hard and admitted, “You’re dying,
baby. This is the only way to save you.” Her eyes widened. He breathed a sigh. “That’s
right. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you, but I need you to trust me in this. We’re
running out of time.”

* * * * *

Jazz looked into Rafe’s familiar golden eyes. His voice came
to her in a garbled echo, but she heard his words and they chilled her. She was
dying. Oh god, she didn’t want to lose Rafe. She loved him. If she died, she’d
never see him again. His heaven wasn’t hers. She nodded, hoping to show her
understanding. Words were beyond her. Her body felt leaden, weak. She wasn’t
sure she pulled it off but must’ve managed it. Relief washed over Rafe’s face.

He disappeared from view and her body was turned. Another
jolt of pain shot through her. She squeezed her eyes shut against it and
focused on the warmth of Rafe’s body pressing along her back. Strands of his
hair brushed against her cheek as he kissed his way down her throat. He pressed
his mouth to the spot where shoulder met neck. The warmth of his breath, her
only warning. He bit and sharp teeth gnawed on her bone.

Agony. The feeling was so intense she was sure her heart
stopped. It whipped through her, added to the throbbing of her wounds before
centering in her chest. Her fingers and toes burned and everything in between
jerked with a wrenching tug. She screamed—maybe out loud, maybe in her head—but
the cry echoed in her body. And as quickly as the pain came, it ended. For a
moment, she floated, bodiless and free, and in the next, she crashed back into
herself.

Rafe licked her shoulder and eased the last of the sting. He
pulled her into his lap, cradling her close. The world swayed and black dots
spread over her eyes. Rafe’s face was blurry, but she saw him raise his arm.

He pressed his wrist to her mouth. “I love you, Jasmine.
Drink. Be my mate in this world and the next.”

Realization dawned. She had to take his blood, finish it.
Anything. She’d do anything to stay with him. She parted her lips and flicked
her tongue to take some in. Sweet and rich. It tasted of chocolate. Suddenly
hungry, she latched on and sucked.

“That’s it. Take more and when you feel me inside you, grab
on and don’t let go.”

She closed her eyes and drank, but she didn’t feel anything,
only the warm liquid sliding down her throat. She swallowed another mouthful.
Something brushed along her skin.
Fur.
It tickled. She squirmed, but
Rafe held her firmly to his chest, his wrist to her mouth.

“Reach for them, baby. You need to accept them,” Rafe urged.

The words confused her and the tingles spread. Trusting in
Rafe, she closed her eyes and focused on the sensation. It felt as if Rafe’s
cats were rubbing against her, except it wasn’t just her legs getting the
gentle strokes. Their caresses touched every inch.
They
were inside her.
Not Rafe. She panicked. Her body tensed. She shoved away from them.

“No, don’t you dare freak out on me, Jasmine. My cats love
you as much I do.” Rafe’s face filled her vision. Full feline eyes focused on
her. “You have to allow them to join with you. They’ll protect you, comfort
you.”

She frowned, but the nudging in her chest increased.
Demanding. They wanted her to pet them. With her eyes shut, she called to them,
coaxing them closer. They slammed into her. A vortex spun around her, sucking
her down. She fell into the abyss. Lights danced across her vision. Green,
brown, blue, gold. The colors swirled until Rafe’s eyes became her world.

She sighed and let the last of her fears fade. When the next
thump to her body came, she dug her fingers into thick fur. A purr reverberated
through her limbs and heat surrounded her—the warmth of three feline bodies
curled around her. She snuggled into the cocoon they made.

Through them, she saw the goodness that existed in Rafe. He
truly was her knight in shining armor. His love, strength, devotion. It was all
exposed to her. She knew without being told he saw into her soul too. Together.
They were literally two halves of a whole, joined by the three big predators
who shared them.

I love you, Jasmine.

Love you too, Rafe.

Another wave of misery swept through her, but she didn’t
fear it. She wasn’t alone. She had Rafe and their cats.

Remember, baby. Don’t let go.

Never, Rafe.